


Wicked Game

by Danystark



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Jason Todd (mentioned) - Freeform, Spoilers for Batman V Superman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-05-30 23:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6446365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danystark/pseuds/Danystark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.'<br/>Althea Wayne has lived a life of misdeeds and haunted by the creatures that prey on the fearful. Lex Luthor has lived through the terror and rage of his father and cursed with an unfeeling nature.<br/>Both individuals save each other from their tragic pasts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The inhumanity of Gotham

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first fanfiction and I'm really excited. I loved Batman V Superman and thought that Lex needed some love and this is a chance to really delve into his past. This is my own interpretation of how these characters would interact in new situations e.g. Lex in a relationship, Bruce having a sister.  
> There is SPOILERS for the movie, so if you haven't watched it this will spoil the story as it's surrounds the plot of the movie.  
> Hope you like it.

  _‘_

_"Downstairs to your left, you will find the main office."_

Althea Wayne stares at the footage to her right as the dark figure follows the directions towards the office of Yulian Filippov, a gang member of the Russian mob within Gotham City. His crimes consist of murder, human and arms trafficking and likely involvement in illegal drug trade with the smaller yet ruthless Irish mob. This piece of filth unfortunately has friends in high places, disposing of any evidence of his existence.

But they can't disappear completely, they never do. There is always some form of trace that leads back to the culprit.

Fingers tap impatiently against the arm of the sleek black chair, the dark figure in the security footage unlocks the door. He is fast, so fast that sometimes it's hard to see how many of those thugs he has been fighting. She has been watching him for a good 6 minutes, the back entrance of the building currently has two guards asleep or that's what they are presumed to be. The Russian must be quite cocky if he thinks no one knows what he's done or that this woman is about to have access to his computer which will unlock all his secrets.

The rootkit will be entered onto Filippov's computer and her software programme will upload without alarming any security or protection. This gives access to take what's needed without a trace.

 _"I'm in"_ fingers move automatically, sometimes she doesn't even notice. " _I've done it. I have the files"_ they're encrypted but that's easy to fix.

34% decryption complete.

There is movement to her left, the security footage from camera 004 shows two, no five guards entering the building.

56% decryption complete. They're approaching the staircase.

 _"Five Guards have entered the building, heading your way"_ Thea tells him, trying to keep herself together. The bravery she wears is a mask, he is the brave one – always had been.

He's gone, must be hiding in the corner or something. She can only do her best with the quality of the footage.

73% decryption complete. Nearly there but it feels like it's been hours. The unbearable intensity of what may happen next.

Their shooting everything hoping to have caught the large black figure. But they're not smart, they're dumb. They don't know what they are dealing with.

82% decryption complete and two guards down. It's a game of cat and mouse; It can be amusing to watch but that's not how she really feels.

Her hazel eyes follow the guns held by the three guards and know that when they shoot, he could get hurt or killed. That's not the case with the suit he is wearing but it's just one of those feelings. She doesn't want to lose him.

100% complete and five guards down. The files are saved and it's done. " _I have them, get out of there"_ her voice calls out in an urgent tone.

She lets out a deep breath. " _You're not the only one that worries Thea"_ A voice behind her speaks, Alfred has been working on some upgrades for the weaponry.

 _"I know, I wish I didn't have to"_ She has lost count of how many times they've said that, the need to scream at him and say 'why do you do this to yourself?', 'why do you put us through this?' Althea and Alfred don't deserve it, they're here as family not a couple of strangers to cry over a dead body.

It's a grim way to look at this life, but Thea accepted it a long time ago since delving into the criminality of Gotham City.

She slowly stand up and stretch, grabs her jacket whilst walking towards Alfred. " _I'm gonna head off, I've done my work"_ Thea sighs and glances at her watch, 2:00am.

Even though both individuals are against his nightly endeavours throughout Gotham City; The exhaustion of worry, knowing that a bullet or knife is out there ready to endanger the man even more. However, this life doesn't consume hers; Thea lives in the 'nice' part of Gotham City attempting to ignore her past misdeeds.

Alfred is about to speak when the roar of engines enter the cave startling the both of them. Bruce Wayne making a grand entrance whilst leaping out of the vehicle and withdrawing his cowl. The man is physically exhausted by the drooping nature of his shoulders as he drops down into his chair; His eyes, Thea always notices them first, they don't convey happiness anymore. That façade is only placed when posing in front of a camera.

 _"You're late, Master Wayne"_ Alfred speaks up, brushing his hands on his apron and goes to make a drink for the older Wayne. " _I've been busy"_ He sighs, this life he is leading, the vigilante one, is going to be the death of him.

He looks up at the young woman, " _Thank you"_ he tells her, the gratitude is apparent with a slight tone of guilt. This is never what he wanted, his little sister should of stayed completely away from her past activities, protecting her as an older brother should. " _I know, but I do have a meeting at 7:00am regarding a very generous donation."_ She responds with a slight smile on her face, the involvement within the Martha Wayne Foundation gives her something to live for. The orphanages, children and those deprived from medical care and education, she couldn't leave them.

* * *

 

 _"Did you find what you needed?"_ Alfred asks while walking towards the older Wayne with a tray of food and drink, Thea left the cave six minutes ago. They make sure she has left before delving into details of the vigilante's recent activities.

 _"No. He was useless, Thea's help will secure him a place in prison but there was nothing to lead me to the man I need."_ Bruce sighed looking through the files obtained by his sister, her skills surprise him every time; her knowledge of computers is a slight step up from his own intellect, though he would never admit that. _"And who are you looking for?"_ Alfred sets down the tray and look at the screen as Bruce opens a file " _Anatoly Knyazev, contractor all over the globe but he is based in Gotham."_

He opens several security images of the man in question, the black combed hair and hand tattoos paired with menacing eyes. " _So this is the white Portuguese? The one you're looking for?"_ Alfred questions him whilst looking at the images displayed. " _No. This is the man who knows everything, the one who will lead me to the man himself"_ Bruce answers in a gruff tone, Alfred prepares him some coffee.

 _"You don't even know if this white Portuguese exists, he may just be a phantasm."_ Alfred pours the hot drink and passes it to Bruce " _one that wants to bring a dirty bomb into Gotham."_ He takes a sip of his drink whilst becoming lost in the decrypted files. Alfred returns to the tray, " _I stand corrected."_ Bruce subtly nods but hears the older man murmuring, " _You can't lie to her now."_

The elder Wayne looks towards him questioningly; Alfred notices and drops the Gotham Press newspaper on his desk. **'BAT BRAND OF JUSTICE'** the title reads with images of a criminal discovered by the vigilante earlier in the week.

 _"After all these years it seems that justice becomes more brutal. I know you hide things from your sister, but soon enough she will have to read about your death in the papers."_ Alfred speaks up with a slight anger and annoyance in his tone. He walks back to his work bench ignoring the stares from Bruce. " _I never should have involved her, I know that. But when she discovered who I was and knew what I was dealing with, she offered to help. Now that son of a bitch is in Arkham, rotting away and paying for what he did to Jason – to us. Without her I would've broken my rule and crossed the line, and I've told you Alfred, once I cross that line I can never come back."_ Bruce's voice becomes louder, the past breaking through. Taking a deep breath, he slouches in his seat.

 _"I was just as surprised as you were when she confessed of her illegal activities, and horrified by the incident that stopped her from ever doing that again. Master Wayne, our young Thea is now scarred forever because of the circumstances that have occurred in the past."_ Alfred looks at the vigilante, who now appears with a grim, disgusted look.

Alfred continues " _But now is the time to move on, don't keep reeling her in to help – she is brilliant at what she does and I don't deny it; I can see it in her eyes, her scars cut deeper whenever she opens a criminal's file about how they murdered their family or molested children. Don't let your nightly activities ignore the only family you have left, Master Wayne."_ Alfred finishes and returns to inspect the weaponry.

Bruce presses a button on his keyboard to lock the screens, all fading to black. To protect the citizens of Gotham, that's what he promised himself. He couldn't even do that right; those close to him either die or get hurt. He's learned that lesson, the loss of Jason and the near loss of his sister. Thea is his anchor, the one that stops him and keeps him in check, if he lost her then there would be no stopping the dark knight to rage war upon his city.

* * *

 

Althea was only nine months old at home in the Wayne Manor with Alfred. Her mother hadn't left the house in so long because she never wanted to leave her second child, but her father persuaded her to go watch Zorro in the theatre and have a break from the worry and enjoy herself. That's when they died.

The younger Wayne grew up not knowing her parents and Bruce has to live with watching them die in cold blood. Bruce and Althea Wayne, those poor children. Throughout their childhood that's what they would hear. But they weren't alone, Alfred is a father to Thea as she's never known another. Bruce is her saviour, without him she wouldn't have known her parents or their family at all. She would learn from her older brother of Thomas and Martha Wayne; how they met, when they where married and the stories of Bruce's childhood with them. All Thea and Bruce can do is uphold their legacy, he is the CEO of Wayne Enterprises and she is the leading supervisor of The Martha Wayne Foundation. They can continue what their parents started and make Gotham a better place.

That was what she decided to do when stepping out into the world and really begun her life. Though the younger Wayne has found a particular interest into something illegal as previously mentioned.

Hacking. Bruce vigorously pointed that out its illegal nature to his sibling alongside the danger of being caught. She has helped a few people discover some things including the GCPD, 'assisting' their case regarding child slavery and saved lives. However, it's not a part of her anymore, after a very close call – now having a scar to show for it.

Her skills are only acquired to assist Bruce when he needs it, this brings an almost hatred to Thea but mostly because her worrisome nature. It's been several years since she began assisting Bruce's endeavours and if she stops now, the feeling that one day Thea will let him down when he needs her the most haunts her. That's what family is for, right?


	2. The invitation

****

Bronze eyes reflected the flames in the stone fireplace. Annoyance and anger played on Lex’s face as he stared into the orange light. Senator June Finch left his father’s office after he received the news of his import licence being blocked. The mineral won’t be kept from him for long; the young billionaire will just have to take the long way around.

Whilst attending to these matters behind his persona and the eyes of the public, he will make the junior senator from Kentucky learn. Sipping his whiskey, he stood up and left his father’s office to enter his own. Lex takes a seat in front of his large computer, several file are open. He chooses one named **‘BRUCE WAYNE’** , this opens up documents and images of the older Wayne. Staring at them with a smirk, he sips his drink again. Luthor selects another file which opens up articles regarding Batman. The screen now contains the images of both Bruce and the dark knight, Lex nods and laughs slightly, _“Nothing stays hidden for long, Mr Wayne._ ” He says grinning and begins tapping his finger against the arm of his chair.

Leaning back he gets distracted by another file, **‘WAYNE FAMILY’** it opens to show more images and articles of the murder about Martha and Thomas Wayne, younger images of the family, the mansion and the construction of Wayne Enterprises. One particular image catches his eye, the security image of a young woman exiting her car.

Lex continually stares at the image, unknown of the knocking on his office door. _“Mr Luthor?”_ A small yet confident voice speaks out, with one last look at the image he locks his computer and quickly looks up to his assistant. Mercy Graves stands by the slightly open door holding a tablet. _“Yes?”_ he answers her, she looks towards him curiously _“your meeting is in 20 minutes sir, you told me to remind you to leave earlier this time.”_ Mercy explained in a monotone voice, tightly holding the tablet against her chest. _“Oh yes, thank you Mercy.”_ Lex responds distractedly and stands up whilst his assistant leaves his office. He sighs and taps his fingers against his desk to clear his head but those hazel eyes don’t seem to leave.

 

* * *

 

 After the successful meeting Thea has nothing planned except for the dinner this afternoon with Bruce and Alfred. When it comes to family, she looks forward to these times the most. Being able to talk about her day and let Bruce and Alfred know what is happening with the Foundation. That’s what Thea thinks whilst driving back to her apartment; what is actually expected is a detailed description of how the GCPD now have the information about the Russian mob leader. That’s great, however it doesn’t erase the images of what he has done which will be forever trapped in the younger Wayne’s head. She can’t forgive Bruce for letting such things be open to her but it was really her fault, she was the one who began snooping into things she shouldn’t have; Thea is going to have to live with the scars, mentally and physically – this is her punishment.

After collecting her mail she walks up the staircase, looking through the several envelopes until she reaches her door. The lights brighten the apartment as Thea enters; her bag tossed onto the couch as she notices an object sitting on the small, round dining table. **‘BAT BRAND OF JUSTICE!’** The large bold title of the Gotham Free Press sat above two images, the criminal and the brand. Looking away in disgust, it seems every day Thea learns new things about her brother, and he is taking drastic measures to give Gotham’s criminals a lesson.

While taking off her jacket and shoes, she reaches for the last piece of mail. Dark eyebrows rise as its stamp signifies it to be from Metropolis. Within, she finds a golden piece of card, an invitation to a charity gala supporting the Metropolis Library.

 _“Hosted by Alexander Luthor”_ testing his name on her lips, Mr. Lex Luthor – The billionaire of Metropolis and rival to Wayne Enterprises. Unfortunately Thea has never met him, but heard stories. Supporting his city anyway he can, similar to how the Wayne’s support the citizens of Gotham City but not on at the scale that he does.

Thea considers this event, she thinks of her mother and what she would say. Martha Wayne helping the citizens of Gotham move forward to a better life, believing in a better and healthy lifestyle and giving children a chance at education. That appealed to Thea the most, her keen sense to learn more about the world and her family. This is who she is, carrying on her mother’s legacy by supporting not only those within Gotham but reaching out to others. Finally making her decision, she lifts herself up from the couch preparing for the evening ahead.

 

* * *

 

 _“I hope the next generation of Waynes won’t inherit an empty wine cellar”_ Alfred unties his scarf whilst inspecting the empty wine bottle left on the dining table. _“Not that there’s likely to be a next generation”_ he mumbles and takes a seat. Bruce walks over with a hot cup of coffee, ignoring Alfred’s comment. _“Thank you, sir”_ setting the cup onto the table, Alfred begins to open Bruce’s mail. _“This is every call made from the Russian’s phone, two mentions of business with the white Portuguese.”_ Bruce moves towards his laptop which sits on the dining table; the detective discovered Anatoly’s whereabouts the previous night, allowing him to plant a small hack from Thea’s programme onto his phone. _“And it’s continually sending blacked out data to the personal residence of Alexander Luthor.”_ The older man looks at Bruce questioningly, _“And you think that Lex Luthor is the White Portuguese?”_

 _“Who is this white Portuguese?”_ Althea enters the kitchen, startling both Bruce and Alfred. Thea laughs slightly at their response and walks towards them, her eyebrows raise, expecting an answer _. “Just more research regarding the Russian.”_ Bruce answers quickly, ignoring the disapproving stare from Alfred. _“Right, Master Wayne. Nothing to worry about my dear.”_ Thea eyes them closely _;_ the two men are being more suspicious and secretive than usual. _“Fine, don’t tell me then. But I do want to know something.”_ She tells them, reaching into her bag and presenting the Gotham Press article. Placing it on the table, she removes her coat and takes a seat. Bruce’s hands grips the head of the chair whilst looking at the piece of paper. _“I understand why you do what you do, but this...”_ Thea leans onto the table placing a finger against the large image of the bat brand. _“Isn’t this a bit much, they’re all criminals like they’ve always been. What’s changed?”_ She asks looking up to the grim face of her brother.

Alfred watches the exchange between the siblings, _“after twenty years nothing’s changed, pull out one weed and another replaces it.”_ Bruce answers in a frustrated tone, his hands clench. After everything they’ve been through, his sister won’t allow him to give up hope _“Would you say that to the people you save? The GCPD wouldn’t have that Russian gang member in their custody if it wasn’t for you. It means Gotham is a little bit safer.”_ Thea places one of her hands on Bruce’s, his clenched fist relaxes slightly. _“Me and Alfred are here, even when you disappear to your nightly escapades which can be quite terrifying”_ She gives him a smile whilst squeezes his hand. Bruce returns the gesture, releasing the chair to make his sister a drink. _“I do prefer these moments compared to the sibling rivalry.”_ Alfred finally speaks after the Wayne’s small conversation. _“I wouldn’t call it sibling rivalry Alfred, more like small disagreements”’_ Thea laughs slightly, and then takes the cup of coffee from Bruce.

The older Wayne takes a seat whilst Thea takes a sip of her drink. She fiddles with the ring on her finger before speaking again, _“I made some improvements to my software, it should work more efficiently.”_ Before Bruce interrupts again with a slight anger to his face, _“It was a close call last time and it’s frustrating, so I found a way to improve it to make it more efficient. Hacking into a system can have its good and bad moments.”_ She nods, knowing that her brother disapproves of the activity but it’s only because it’s her – his sister.

 _“I told you I’m here to help, anyway I can.”_ Sipping her drink, she looks out of the window, ignoring Bruce’s stare. “ _I always know your there and I need you there. But I can’t let you waste your life like I have with mine.”_ Bruce sighs and Alfred looks at him sadly. Thea whispers, _“I’m not, even though it’s difficult and painful to go back to that time. It’s ok now, I want to try and help the best way I can. Maybe not as drastically as I once did.”_

Thea stares into the distance, and then shakes her head to clear it. She brightens the room with her smile after the grim conversation. _“Anyway, I received something interesting in the mail”_ the young woman reaches into her bag once again to obtain her invitation; Bruce frowns, wondering what it is. _“Did you get invited to the charity gala to support the Metropolis library?”_ She asks in an excited tone, Thea is more of a bookworm between the two Waynes; especially when feeling strongly about the importance of education as it’s one of the many focuses within the Martha Wayne foundation.

 _“Yes he did”_ Alfred answers for him, presenting Bruce’s own invitation. Thea grins then responds quickly, _“It’s hosted by Lex Luthor and I know you don’t like him very much. But this will be good to have a break and enjoy yours_ _elf”_ The younger Wayne looks hopeful to her brother. Bruce glances to his right at Alfred, as his suit requires repairs this is the only option to enter Luthor’s home and obtain the information needed. _“What do you think Alfred?”_ The older Wayne asks with a slight smirk. Alfred returns his look, _“I believe it will be a most interesting night, Master Wayne.”_

* * *

Thea’s anxiety always heightens last minute, whether it’s a meeting or a party. She faces the full length mirror, her golden dress is mix of lace and a sheer fabric; thankfully it’s a knee length dress, longer dresses aren’t appreciative to her short height. There’s a knock at the door, Bruce has arrived to drive both of them over to the fellow city. Thea suddenly overwhelms with excitement and nervousness, she has not been able to see much of the city, only for meetings; her dedication and time to the foundation tends to restrict any personal endeavors.

Thea opens the door to find Bruce in a three-piece navy suit, “ _You look beautiful”_ He says as he glances at his sister’s dress, she smiles and grabs her purse and take his offered hand. _“Thank you. And you look very sharp in that suit”_ Thea says smiling whilst she locks her apartment door. _“I always do”_ Bruce responds as they head towards the exit of the apartment building.

The younger Wayne looks at the side mirror adjusting a few loose brunette hairs back in place. Her hands slightly shake; it’s been some time since she attended galas or even been to the fellow city. The Martha Wayne Foundation allowed her to support those in need after the destruction of the city two years ago. That was when Superman introduced himself to the world; Thea doesn’t take sides in the matter of him being a hero or a villain. This subject between the siblings is a prickly one; any mention of the alien is a sensitive matter to Bruce.

The two Waynes drive towards the exit of Gotham, towards Metropolis. Thea wonders what the night may have in store.


	3. A conversation on a balcony

****

The sleek black Aston Martin pulled up towards the large, spectacular Luthor residence. The lights within the building shone through the long glass windows, brightening the area from the dark sky. Flashes from the photographers surrounded the red carpet leading towards the entrance. The valet opened the car doors, the press and photographer's attention was drawn to the Wayne siblings; even though Thea supports the citizens of Metropolis and Bruce's occasional meetings within the city, they never attended many parties.

The night air brought a chill to Thea as they crossed the blood-red carpet, the thick lace and sheer material of the golden dress covered her arms and upper half of her back. This kept her briefly safe from the cold but also conceals the damage to her right shoulder blade; a past memory forever marked on her skin.

Guests filled the large room whilst employees wandered the area offering drinks. Thea twisted the ring on her finger, a nervous tick she had when faced with large crowds. Bruce stood next to her in the room and notices his sibling's fidgety behaviour; he places his hand over hers and squeezes it. This ceases her movement and she offers a smile in return.

They look towards the end of the room where Ricky LeBlanc, the president of the Metropolis library stands centre stage. “ _I would like to thank you all for coming today, to support the library of Metropolis. It has been a part of the city for so many years and has grown in its importance to the citizens. By your help and support the Metropolis library can develop and grow even further and tonight I am especially thankful for our host. He is a socialite, philanthropist and a true friend of the library of Metropolis, Mr Lex Luthor.”_ She exclaims clapping her hands whilst the guests join in. Standing behind most of the crowd, Thea searches for the man in question. Lex waves his hands whilst walking towards the stage with LeBlanc, he kisses her on the cheek and she walks away. The younger Wayne's eyes widen, Lex is younger than expected; a similar age to her. He reminds her of a young Bruce, his days as a young billionaire by taking over the business. Thea could see that Lex wasn't like Bruce, not one who flirts with women or dates models half way across the world. Luthor is the more intelligent type and only uses his money in an efficient way, to help his business or the city; that's what she has mostly read anyway. The young billionaire clears his throat whilst handling the microphone; his nervous ticks struggle to hide from his guests.

 _“The word philanthropist comes from the Greek meaning a lover of humanity...”_ Lex continued his recollection of Greek mythology as Bruce slipped away from the crowd, murmuring to Alfred _“What now?”_ The older man sat in the cave with a mug of coffee, looking up at the multiple computer screens showing the layout of the Luthor residence _, “I don't see anything, have I told you how this is uncomfortable for me?”_ Alfred responds, _“I know you don't agree but I need to keep this from her, she wants me to spend tonight ignoring everything and enjoy myself”_ Bruce answers walking towards the back of the room, Thea distracted by Lex's speech. _“But I can't just leave this, it's too important; if she knew then she would be disappointed”_ Alfred sips his coffee, _“Maybe Master Wayne, If you told her the truth in the first place you wouldn't be in this mess now would you?”_ Bruce sighs and stands still, glancing at his sister. Before leaving to pick up his sister earlier in the evening, he and Alfred had a disagreement regarding the plan (using Thea's software installed on the cave's computers and stealing Luthor's files). His sister's particular skills would have helped in this situation considering Alfred’s limited knowledge of hacking, but seeing how joyful she was by accepting the invitation – he couldn't do it. To use this charity event as a way of illegally stealing from another, Thea wouldn't accept it. The older Wayne tries to keep his sister out of most of the bat's cases, the things he has seen is not for her eyes; though her psyche has already been corrupted from the horrific past, seeing more of this would only make her worse.

 _“Hold on, to your left down the staircase”_ Alfred interrupts the Wayne's thoughts, Bruce heads towards the direction Alfred has sent him, unknowingly to him that eyes watch his movement. He follows the staircase leading below the balcony, _“to your left again, opposite the kitchen”_ Bruce opens the smaller room to the left, planting the device on the base of the hardware. _“Can I help you Mr Wayne?”_ A voice calls out, Lex's assistant opens the door and looks towards him, startling Bruce he recovers _“I was just looking for the bathroom, had one too many martinis”_ He laughs and Mercy answers with a small smile, _“The restroom is upstairs”_ Her hand pointing in the direction, an employee then approaches her, _“Great, I like those shoes”_ He pointed towards her with a grin, then she walks away with the employee. _“I like those shoes? I thought you knew how to impress a woman”_ Alfred distracts Bruce, the younger man rolls his eyes _“I've had worse”_ He looks towards the device presenting a timer, _“7 minutes? Alfred I can't stay here”_ Bruce looks towards where Luthor's assistant left, _“I can only do my best with Thea's programme, if you wanted to get out of here more quickly then you should have included her in your little plan.”_ Alfred sips his coffee, leaning back in the sleek chair, _“Alfred.”_ Bruce says in a stern voice, _“You will have to be patient, Master Wayne. Go up stairs and socialise, a woman from Metropolis will make you honest.”_ The Wayne walks towards the door, leading upstairs to the gala. Alfred grumbles, _“In your dreams Alfred.”_

* * *

 

Thea sips her champagne looking towards Lex whilst listening to his speech, along with the other guests. She glances to her side briefly, expecting her older brother to be stood frowning. Thea’s expectation is wrong as she looks around the room trying the find any appearance of her sibling; she shakes her head to clear her thoughts and focuses on Luthor's words. _“Knowledge is power and I’m...”_ Lex drifts of placing a hand on his chest; he laughs slightly and bites his tongue. His thoughts are a drift as he utters the statement; he loses what he's saying and stutters. Looking around his audience, _“No...I'm... wait a second”_ Lex stumbles over his words making incoherent noises, as Thea amongst the guests looks on in confusion. Looking down to his hand which starts twitching, he grasps his control by tapping his fingers against his leg. The subject of his speech has tumbled down a winding road, scrawling at his masked public persona _“The bittersweet pain amongst men is having knowledge with no power..._ ” Luthor's anger starts to rise in his voice, his words striking a personal nerve within him, _“because that's paradoxical and erm, err...”_ Lex's angered tone slices the silence of the guests, he giggles and looks up to the audience seeming to forget they where there. The young billionaire looks around and discovers a pair of hazel eyes staring up at him from a distance, not filled with confusion but worry. He stares slightly and the young woman notices and looks away blushing, Lex shakes his head and looks away to the rest of the audience _“thank you for coming”_ he says in a monotone voice as if nothing happened. A small, awkward applause began amongst the audience as the music played.

Thea finishes the rest of her drink, clearing her head of what just happened. The young billionaire was distracted and awkward on stage, he mumbled over his words. Was he nervous? But he seemed so confident when approaching the guests. The Wayne wonders what troubles the host, her thoughts drifted back to his sombre blue eyes; they stared at her for what felt like hours but only a few seconds. Whatever it was seemed to knock Luthor back to reality, she only wanted to know why.

 _“Miss Wayne?”_ A voice calls out beside her, a man approaches wearing glasses and simple tailored suit. _“Clark Kent. Daily Planet.”_ He says when Thea looks towards him; they shake each others hand. _“What's your opinion on the bat vigilante in Gotham?”_ Clark asks, the young woman quickly swallows her voice by the unexpected question, when she doesn't answer he responds, _“I'm sorry Miss Wayne, I am just researching into Gotham and it's famous vigilante. I don't believe that question is asked a lot anymore.”_ Kent says with a small frown. _“I'm sorry, I don't usually get asked questions about the vigilante, I'm more used to questions regarding the foundation.”_ Thea waves her hand expressively, Clark apologies but the Wayne answers the question, _“I believe this man wants to help civilians, make Gotham's streets safer and lock away criminals that pollute the city. It may be seen by most Mr Kent, that the caped crusader is a brutal and an unforgiving creature. However, I believe he is a man that has seen so many things over the years that his behaviour is understandable. Seeing such things can change you.”_ Thea stares past Clark into the distance, drifting through her thoughts.

A hand grasps her elbow lightly as her brother makes his appearance. _“Bruce! Mr Kent here was just asking about our vigilante back home.”_ Thea looks up at Bruce with an innocent yet pained smile. _“Mr Wayne, civil liberties are being trampled upon in your city. There are people living in fear.”_ Clark asks the older Wayne who glances at him _, “Don't believe everything you hear son”_ Bruce answered in a deep grumble causing Thea to elbow him subtly in the ribs. _“But I've seen it Mr Wayne, he thinks he's above the law.”_ The older man responds with a small smirk, _“Daily Planet criticizing those who are above the law is a little hypocritical wouldn't you say? Considering every time your guy saves a cat out of a tree you write a puff piece editorial, about an alien who could bring the whole place down and we could do nothing to stop him”_ Clark looks down uncomfortable, _“most of the world doesn't share your opinion Mr Wayne.”_ He looks up to him again as jaw tightens; Thea stares at both men awkwardly and twists the ring on her finger. _“It's probably just the Gotham City in me, we have a bad history with freaks dressed like clowns.”_ Bruce responds whist looking at Clark, Thea grips Bruce's arm in a way to stop him. Both men stare at each other grudgingly as Thea stands by her brother's side uncomfortably.

Their intense stares were broken by a voice calling out, _“Boys! Clark Kent meets Bruce Wayne. Hmmm, I love it Ha! I love bringing people together.”_ Lex approaches the older man clapping with a grin, shaking both Bruce and Clark's hand. _“Miss Wayne, what a pleasure to finally have you over to Metropolis”_ Lex exclaims, noticing her by the side of Bruce. Opening his hand to her, she accepts and he unexpectedly kisses it. Thea blushes and smiles slightly whilst her older brother gives Lex an angered look that could kill. _“The pleasure is all mine Mr Luthor”_ the young woman responds as Lex stares at her eyes, shaking his head and clears his throat _“Call me Lex, please”_ he utters, _“after all your support over the two years, i'm surprised we have never worked together. Maybe we should sometime”_ Lex offers not realizing he is holding her hand still. Both older men look at the couple uncomfortably at they don't seem to look away from each other. Their gazes are broken as Lex's assistant approaches him regarding the governor, _“Excuse me”_ he initially tells Thea and squeezes her hand slightly, then nods at the two men and walks away.

Alfred interrupts Bruce's angered thoughts, _“That seven minute transfer is complete, did you enjoy yourself?”_ the older man asks sarcastically, Bruce walks away from Clark and Thea. The younger Wayne still lost is her thoughts looked towards her brother who leaves unexpectedly. _“Excuse me Miss Wayne”_ Clark speaks and nods his head before following in the direction of her brother. Thea blinks, unsure what just happened and takes a breath. She walks away from the crowd and wanders the large room; two glass doors are open slightly which reveal a small, low balcony. The young woman enters and leans against the railing, staring at her hand and blushes slightly; she has never really been in a relationship. Thea would initially think that her brother would be too protective and not let her date, which he still does but that's not the case anymore. She finds it difficult to let people in after what happened, her scars are in a result of her stupidity and now she will forever feel insecure. Thea shakes her head to clear her thoughts, relationships? Lex kisses her hand, stared at her and made the young woman blush. They have only just met and she's thinking of such things, this makes her laugh and she places a hand against her cheek which is burning up; hopefully the cold air will help.

* * *

The sound of talking and laughing within the party silently lowered as she walked out to the balcony. It felt peaceful outside looking above at the night sky, beautiful - not like Gotham. Her home seems to be filled with darkness not because of the criminality within but even in daylight it seems to always be consumed by a fog or mist clouding the city. Metropolis is the light as Gotham is the dark. Thea grips the bars attached to the railing of the balcony and leans forward, still staring at the many bright stars lighting the darkness. _“Out of the thousands of stars up there, only a few are as bright and significant to the sun”_ a voice behind her calls out in a curious tone. She recognises it from earlier; it belongs to Mr. Lex Luthor. Thea doesn't turn around but continually stares straight ahead towards the trees outside his residence. _“You seem to be the epitome of knowledge Mr. Luthor, Greek mythology and now astronomy”_ she responds as he approaches her silently, leaning against the railing of the balcony. She glances to her right where he stands; his maroon shirt is prominent against his black suit. _“It all depends on the genealogy, upbringing etcetera, excreta. My father was the Lex in front of the Corp. The man with all the power, now I take on the business and his traits of being a philanthropist, scientist, inventor…”_ Lex continued waving his hands around expressing the large impressive words to describe himself and the late Lex Luthor _,_ whilst an angered tone slips through.

 _“...then there is you.”_ Pointing his finger towards the young woman. He grinned and turned to the side, his hip and elbow leaning against the silver metal bar. _“What about me, Mr Luthor”_ the woman speaks, copying Lex's actions as she turns to her side, her hip resting against the railing. She can't help but a let a smile draw upon her face _. “The weight of a legacy been left on you and your brother's shoulders, mostly difficult for you I presume as you've never known them.”_ He responds quickly, not thinking of his words. Thea becomes uncomfortable and twists the ring on her finger, Lex notices his mistake and begins to nervously tap his fingers against the bar whilst standing up straighter, _“My apologies Miss Wayne, I can come across heartless when I forget my words”_ He says, unsure of what she will say. If he was alone he would kick himself for forgetting his manners, that's what his father would have done. _“You are right, Mr Luthor. I guess I try my best to uphold the family name but a part of me sometimes wonders if I could just leave. What my life would be like if I didn't have to worry what Martha or Thomas Wayne would do.”_ Thea responds gripping the bars to control herself, she is never usually that open; Lex's words have struck something within her. _“And it’s Thea, Mr Luthor”_ She speaks again looking up at him whilst not letting go of the railing. _“Then please call me Lex.”_

He smiles towards her, his nervous tick stopped when she look towards him again. _“Thea is short for Althea, in the Greek it means 'with healing power'._ _I would say that's appropriate due to your kind, caring nature and your foundation. I can guess those traits came from your mother.”_ Lex smiles again when he sees the young woman blush slightly, he has never really had his way with women; impressed with himself that he could make a beautiful woman such as her blush. _“Though Thea also means goddess.”_ The young billionaire stated as Thea nervously twists her ring, clearing her throat slightly, _“I believe that most men I have met throughout my life would agree with that Statement, Lex”_ She looks away from him and stares at the night sky, _“Though I wouldn't believe that myself”_ Thea murmurs quietly thinking to the defects brutally places on her body. _“Anyway, What does Alexander mean in Greek?”_ she moves on from the former statement, refusing to discuss it further. _“The defender of man. Protecting the citizens of Metropolis from the callous gods that prey on the city.”_ Lex answers whilst turning away and grips the bar, the white of his knuckles are visible under his pale skin. He lets go and walks to the side, not facing her; bowing his head slightly, Lex takes a breath to calm him. He would not let his angered thoughts of this devil pollute his conversation with the young woman. _“I am the defender of man whilst you have healing power; according to the Greek our legacies seemed tied.”_ He turns back to her, his anger completely disappearing, _“Thea, as supporting Metropolis for the past two years I would like to invite you to Lexcorp sometime, maybe show you my research and a tour of the great city.”_ He smiles excitedly though within him he is scared of the refusal. He needs to know more about the woman that intrigues him so much, he need answers to these feelings he doesn't understand. _“Lex, It would be ridiculous of me to refuse”_ Thea answers returning his smile, he nods _“great, I'll send you some dates and I can have the honour of showing you my city.”_

Thea becomes lost in her thoughts, briefly wondering what her brother would say. He doesn't need to know, right? She thinks, on the thoughts of her brother she responds quickly, _“Forgive me Lex, but I must find my brother”_ She looks towards the party _“of course Thea, It was lovely to meet you.”_ Lex ends with a truthful statement and nods his head, _“you too”_ She speaks whilst Lex reaches for her hand unexpectedly, pulling her slightly towards him before placing a kiss on her hand as he did before. The billionaire smiles and releases her as Thea continues to blush and smile in return. As she leaves Lex is left on the balcony, staring after the young woman; his thoughts are overwhelmed with her smile, eyes and her voice. He questions his actions, the plan may fail if he is distracted at such a crucial time. His thoughts wander to something more dangerous that twines with his bewitching thoughts of the young woman.

Thea discovers her brother entering the building, _“where have you been?” she_ asks as he walks towards her with a grim facial expression. Bruce walked downstairs to collect the device with the Luthor's files but found it was stolen; the mysterious woman who spiked his interest earlier this evening seemed to be the culprit. His angered and annoyed tone seeped through his voice, _“Chasing after a woman, and I could ask the same about you”_ he answers, glancing at his sister who still appeared with a slight tint to her cheeks. _“I was just conversing with the guests”_ Thea responding while rolling her eyes to Bruce's answer. After being at the gala for at least two hours, Bruce offers his arm to his sister, _“Ready to go?”_ She nods and hooks her own arm with his and walks towards the exit.


	4. The game begins

Images and information spread across the multiple screens within the cave. Different images, but of the same woman, the title of the information said **‘Diana Prince’** in large bold writing within an article. Bruce read the information regarding the woman; this antiquities dealer was the same one who stole the device at the gala the week before. _“When I said you should meet a woman from Metropolis, I didn’t mean you should stalk her.”_ Alfred glanced at the screen whilst walking towards the younger man slouching in his seat. _“Master Wayne, can I ask why you are so interested in this woman?”_ He asked as Bruce sighed, _“She is the one who stole the files”_ his glum tone triggered a little smile from Alfred _“Thieves seem to be your type, sir.”_

The older man walks away from the screen towards his work bench. He began his work whilst speaking to Bruce; _“This could be your chance Master Wayne”_ Bruce looks towards him questioningly, dragging his concentration away from the screen. _“A chance for what Alfred?”_ he sits up in his seat whilst continuing to look towards the cluttered table where Alfred works, _“To invite a beautiful woman for dinner and not have it end in a one night stand.”_ The older man doesn’t look up and continues his improvements on the weaponry; Bruce shakes his head whilst rolling his eyes. Returning his gaze to the many screens in front of him, _“There is a gala at the Metropolis museum tomorrow night for the new exhibit, I am invited and so is Ms Prince.”_ Bruce taps the keyboard and the guest list he discovered earlier appeared on the screen, Alfred glances at the screen _“Well Master Wayne, you do seem to have learned a thing or two from your sister.”_ The eldest Wayne doesn’t look at Alfred but stares at the multiple screens containing the information. Bruce can’t help but think how much he has gained from his younger sibling; though her previous activities were not approved by him, without Thea many criminals would still be roaming the streets and not locked away. _“On the subject of my sister, I haven’t seen her much since the party”_ Bruce looks towards his phone, hoping for any sign of contact from the young woman. _“Ms Thea is in Metropolis today, she did mention multiple meeting this week within the city.  She has been cooperating with the charities, orphanages excetera.”_ Bruce smiles slightly, proud of her achievements which remind him so much of their mother. Thea’s actions always remind him of Martha Wayne, his younger sister’s caring nature mirrors his mother’s; one misfortune that haunts him is that Thea will never meet their parents. No past memories, just a legacy weighing on her shoulders; Bruce shakes his head to clear his troubled thoughts and continues his work.

* * *

 

_“Ms Wayne, it was lovely seeing you again. Thank you so much”_ shaking his hand Thea responds _, “Nolan we’ve known each other for over two years, you can call me Thea”_ they both stand up from their chairs in the small office within the orphanage. _“There is no need to thank me, I want to keep helping and supporting the children.”_ The Metropolis Orphanage is larger than Gothams, understandably as it has been open for much longer. Nolan Deering manages the orphanage with few staff, the younger Wayne meets with the manager every few months to discuss any further developments and to see how the children are. Since the unfortunate disaster two years ago, the few orphanages across Metropolis have taken in many children who have lost their parents. Thea supports the orphanages across the city to make sure there is enough clean beds, food and healthcare in place as she also continually does for the Gotham City orphanage.

Thea leaves the large building and walks towards her car; the successful meeting leaves her in high spirits. She enters her car and takes a breath, looking at her watch reminds her of the next meeting planned. She has been invited to Lexcorp by the young billionaire of Metropolis, Lex Luthor who had proposed this arrangement briefly at the charity gala last week. The younger Wayne fiddles with her small, diamond ring before starting the car; this heirloom of the Wayne family has been passed down through generations, something of her mother’s that was given to her in their will. Whilst feeling quite merry from the previous meeting her anxious behaviour makes an appearance. The feeling of uncertainty clouds her thoughts as its unknown what this meeting may entail, though meeting Mr Luthor again combines excitement and nervousness. As Lex Luthor is the largest rival to Wayne Enterprises, Thea dared not inform her older brother of the current arrangement. The younger Wayne laughed slightly as she drove through the busy streets of Metropolis, a secretive nature must be a common trait within the Wayne family.

* * *

 

The large Lexcorp research park was located on the outskirts of the city; this made the large white building stand out amongst the green environment. The orange and white Lexcorp logo took a place above the entrance, noticeable from a distance as Thea drove further towards the building. The small security booth sat by the side of the road leading towards the research park, _“I have a meeting with Mr Luthor”_ Thea explains to the guard when her car approaches close to the booth, she hands him her ID. _“Go straight through, ma’am”_ the older security guard returns the ID then opens the gate allowing the young Wayne to pass. The closer she drives towards the polished building, the clearer the outline of the large windows that surround the Lexcorp sign. Once Thea has parked her vehicle, she made her way across to the entrance of Lexcorp, she inspects the large sign above the glass doors; the slick, modern logo has made many appearances in Metropolis and her home city.

Thea enters the building through the large glass doors; the substantial entrance contains a large circular reception desk whilst being surrounded by employees and visitors. The seats are located on both sides and those seated talk loudly whilst others work on their personal laptops. Thea is surprised by how casual the interior seems as she walks towards the reception desk, a tall woman holding a tablet stands beside it. _“Ms Wayne?”_ the tall woman approaches her as Thea moves forward, _“Hi, yes that’s me. I have a meeting with Mr Luthor”_ the young woman smiles awkwardly and fidgets with her diamond ring; the large amount of people is makes her anxious, _“Of course. Please follow me”_ the taller woman responds whilst walking towards the back of the desk, Thea takes a breath and follows her; the woman’s sophistication intimidates Thea slightly, the Wayne dressed in a blazer, blouse and a pair of leggings compared to her guide’s black, tight fitting choice.

The clicking noise of her heels ceased as both women approach the large basketball court hidden away by the large reception. A moderate amount of people stood outside of the court casually talking whilst others were seated in chairs surrounding the area. As the younger Wayne inspects the area her eyes widen, the building seemed to become even more surprising. Rowdy noises come from the court whilst the players move around quickly, a young man in a t-shirt and jeans scores as the crowd responds blaringly. The cheers pierce Thea’s ears as her attention focuses on the young man, she recognizes him just as he turns around to face the women. Alexander Luthor stands in front of her, his hair dishevelled and hands waving in the air; noticing the young woman for the first time he straightens up. _“Thea! It’s great to see you again”_ he approaches her whilst offering his hand which she takes, _“You too Lex, thanks for the invitation”_ Thea nods as he kisses her hand once again. _“Thank you, Mercy”_ the young billionaire nods towards his assistant, the tall woman walks away as Lex points his hand to the left side of the basketball court. _“This way”_ as she follows him Thea glances to her right, a large retro sign of Lexcorp is attached to the wall; the neon design stands out amongst the pure white walls.   

_“My fathers, the acknowledgement of the past and what Lexcorp used to be.”_ Lex speaks, noticing her interest in the sign. _“I didn’t know much about Lexcorp back then, I’m sure your father was a great man.”_ Thea responds as they continued down the large hallway, Lex grins slightly and his hands close into fists, _“That’s what a lot of people believe. My good ol’ father probably wouldn’t approve of my decisions of the company”_ Lex waves his hand behind them to the court and employees chatting loudly, he fidgets slightly as they continue to walk. _“Your decisions and changes to the company are what make you your own person; I know how it feels to be in the shadow of someone’s legacy.”_ Thea smiles, the young man looks towards her and his tightened fists release. He returns the gesture _“Here we are”_ The glass doors open to a large scientific lab, some screens are attached to the walls whilst others are placed on multiple desks. The lab is empty as they enter; _“I’ll let you know now that I have a lack of knowledge regarding science or anything on the matter”_ she speaks alongside a small laugh, the silver ring twists around her finger again slightly. The feeling of humiliation approaches her as she speaks, knowing Lex to be a very intelligent person she will most likely embarrass herself. _“Ms Wayne, there is no need to worry. I wanted to take this chance to give you a tour of Lexcorp whilst you’re still in Metropolis”_ He walks besides her, taking her small hand which ceases her fidgeting. Thea’s breathing stops slightly as Lex squeezes her hand; he leads her around the lab until ceasing his movement. Within a glass case holds a small green mineral, _“beautiful”_ The young woman murmurs as she looks into the case, _“indeed”_ Lex responds whilst looking at Thea, then wanders around the opposite side of the case after letting her go. Thea’s cheeks tint pink as she glances towards the young billionaire; his arms rest on top of the case, letting a smile appear on his face.

Thea swallows quickly finding her voice, _“Is it an emerald?”_ she asks, testing her knowledge. _“Similar. Our current research into the mineral proposes many possibilities including the safety of Metropolis”_ Lex becomes distracted as he answers the young woman, his finger tap slightly against the glass drawing her attention; then he wanders around the lab again glancing at the multiple screens. Thea follows him slowly whilst he picks up a blue stress ball sitting on the workbench, _“You seem very protective of your home, did you always feel this way or was it because of the occurrence two years ago?”_ she asks carefully, wondering if the subject is as sensitive to Lex as it is to her older brother. He doesn’t turn around but his posture changes as he squeezes the ball tightly, _“The occurrence, meaning when this alien brought destruction from the skies and reigned hell”_ he spits out forgetting himself, the persona of hatred towards superman and his actions slip through and frightens her slightly. Lex notices her reaction as he faces her, shakes his head and clears his throat _“Yes I would say it was that”_ A smile returns to his lips, wiping away any form of anger though his fist clenches tightly around the small blue ball. Lex moves past Thea as their hands brush slightly, he releases a breath as her touch allows a calm feeling to rest over him. The ball bounces away as Lex’s hand releases it then he faintly squeezes her fingers, Thea smiles slightly at his action whilst they are distracted by each other’s eyes; Lex shakes his head and clears his throat once again, this feeling troubles him but his focus returns to his previous goal, _“On the subject of that specific occurrence, what’s your belief of this superman?”_ Lex asks her as he releases her hand and takes a seat on one of many stools, his fingers play with the stress ball as he waits for her answer. Thea’s attention is drawn back to the conversation, _“I cannot say that superman is either good or bad, I believe that every person has some form of good and bad within them. I don’t really know what occurred that day to personally define him.”_ She responds confidently whilst taking a seat opposite him, Lex looks at her as his fingers tap against his knee _“some have made their decision whilst others are like you, stuck in the middle of the debate”_ Thea doesn't ask which side Mr Luthor has chosen as his earlier response seemed to be evident.

Lex looked away, troubled with his thoughts. The good vs bad, light vs the dark, she was the light and he could clearly see it. Her caring nature, the need to help others and her positivity shined bright and defined who she was. Lex wonders if the darkness within him is clear to her, it can slip through when he isn't in control; this prospect troubles him slightly, will his true intentions this evening be discovered? Is she more intelligent than initially presumed? A small soft hand draws him away from his thoughts; his hand ceases the tapping movement. The young billionaire’s focus sets on Thea _“Lex, are you sure there isn't another reason why you invited me here?”_ she asks suspiciously, the man seems thoroughly distracted, _“I guess that I want to know more about the woman who generously supports my city but lives across the water in Gotham”_ Thea’s eyebrows furrow, _“I’m not the only outsider to come and help Metropolis”_ she pointed out as he smiles slightly _“Not all are generous and as caring as you are, even after two years you still meet with orphanages around the city and offer your support”_ her hazel eyes widen, before she questions him about her other business Lex interrupts _, “Thea, I know people around the city. Charities and foundations I’ve donated too previously know your work and they’re very grateful”_ he stands up as she looks on surprised at the information, even though she has worked hard and used her time to help Metropolis she never thought that it would be widely viewed by so many. The young man offers his hand which she takes, _“Plus I really wanted to see you again. Let's continue shall we?”_ Lex opens the door for her as they enter the large hallway once again; Thea ceases to look at Lex as her face becomes heated. Both individuals walk beside each other whilst he taps his fingers against his leg and she fiddles with her small diamond ring.

* * *

 

_“I'm terrible”_ Thea exclaims as the ball misses the hoop, _“I can say practice comes in handy”_ Lex responds as the ball he throws enters the hoop. Only a few employees wandered the large entrance of Lexcorp compared to earlier, allowing the court to be available for both of them. She sighs as her hand bounces the large orange ball whilst Lex approaches her with another held under his arm _“out of my brother and I, he is the more athletic one”_ she laughs slightly, acknowledging Bruce’s vigilante persona.

Lex’s eyes focus upon the young woman as she continues bouncing the ball around the court, the older Wayne’s name heightens his attention. _“Do you get along well with your brother_?” Lex asks, his concentration unchanging _“I guess so, yeah”_ Thea answers distractedly as she throws the ball which closely misses the net. The young billionaire taps his fingers impatiently against the basketball he holds, _“I presume you two would be close and stick together after your tragedy.”_ he states which draws confusion upon Thea’s face, the sudden questions about her family contrast to their previous discussions. She is unsure to whether there is heartlessness within the tone of his voice, _“I don't really want to talk about it.”_ Thea speaks as she picks up another ball and stands in position. Lex’s temper flares slightly as his incessant tapping ceases, cursing himself for his previous comment as a sense of guilt settles in his gut; the younger Wayne’s intended place in Lex’s plan requires more information, especially the relationship between the siblings. If the initial kind, charming approach won’t achieve his goals then the long road around may be his only option and it’s a dangerous one.

A breath is released as he approaches her once again, Lex stands behind her whilst guiding her movement, and she blushes at the closeness; he moves his own hands over hers and they throw the ball together. It enters the netted hoop and Thea smiles gleefully whilst clapping, her reaction distracts Lex as he smiles alongside her. He photographs her smile in his mind, being able to retain the feeling it gives him. His long fingers lightly hold her hand whilst she squeezes it in return, both individuals distracted as they are unaware of the clicking of heels which approach them.

_“Excuse me, Mr Luthor”_ Mercy Graves’s confident voice calls out which draws the young couple’s attention. _“Yes, Mercy”_ Lex nods towards her, tapping his fingers against his leg lightly, _“Your observation in lab eight begins in fifteen minutes, sir”_ she answers whilst waiting outside the court. _“Right, must have lost track of time. My apologies Thea, but this is something I have to unfortunately attend”_ Lex explains to the young woman who nods understandably, _“Of course, I must be leaving anyway; I have a meeting tomorrow morning which I must prepare for”_ Thea fidgets with her diamond ring before Lex’s hands clasp hers, “Thank you for the tour Lex, I’ve has a wonderful time” she admits her truthful statement as she squeezes his hand before he releases them. _“It’s been a pleasure, Thea”_ Lex finally speaks, as he says her name it leaves butterflies in her stomach; before Lex returns to his assistant and Thea turns towards Lexcorp’s entrance she kisses his cheek. The small action triggers a spark within both individuals; Thea offers a shy smile before walking away leaving Lex staring after her once again. His mouth is open whilst he lightly touches his burning cheek, her unexpected action triggered something within him; the young billionaire shakes off this unknown feeling that troubles him as he heads towards the lab.

* * *

 

His head shook as his sombre eyes glanced across the board, his dishevelled hair and clothing show the exhaustion within him. Lex’s scribbled notes were presented on a large white board, **‘Vigilante’** , **‘God’** , **‘Devil’** , **‘destruction’** , **‘murder’,** \- words appearing on the board are aggressively wrote. His eyes feel strained as they dance around the room away from his writing; the stress that surrounds him is caused by the change in his plan, blaming the young woman for disturbing his mind and thoughts; if his intrigue didn’t get the best of him he wouldn’t be in this mess. This hatred has consumed him for the past two years, for his rival Bruce Wayne and the all powerful god that reigned hell from the skies; day versus night battling each other to the death - killing two birds with one stone. Thea could play a vital part in his plan or cause more complications but it’s a risk the young billionaire is willing to take. The black marker pen sat in his hand above the board ready to write, a small frustrated growl comes from Lex and he turned away; being one of the most intelligent men in the world has never been as much of struggle as this has. There is a troublesome feeling within the young man, it’s unknown to Lex and has created a wall in his mind stopping him from thinking any further.

 Lex spins around towards his desk, his hand clasps the half drank glass of scotch that sits amongst the papers and spare files. He swallows a small sip and looks into his drink which slowly swirls from the movement; suddenly his arm throws the glass, shattering against the white painted wall to his right. This sudden movement shakes him with anger, his eyes glance across his notes on the whiteboard again. A small giggle erupts from the young billionaire as his hand wipes his face with realization and glee, Lex approaches quickly as his hand prepares to scribble once again. The marker flurries across the board as his disheveled hair shakes slightly by the quick motions, a grin spreads on his face as his eyes squint closely with concentration; rapid thoughts swirl within the young man’s head as the uncertainty which edges closer to him is dismissed.


End file.
